
Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
Pizza
Italian
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Italian-run restaurant in San Diego's Little Italy since 2015. Menu has a vegan section offering items like spinach ravioli, lasagna, fettucine, fried mushrooms, and cheese substitute. Vegan gelato and tiramisu for dessert. Makes pasta in-house. Open Mon 12:00pm-9:30pm, Tue-Thu 4:00pm-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 12:00pm-10:30pm, Sun 12:00pm-9:30pm.
132 Reviews
First Review by vsvihla
VRunner
Points +340
Yum Lasagna - Edit
I ordered take out a night before a half marathon. I know you’re not supposed to mess with your diet the night before a race but I had no issues the next day. I have been eating a low salt diet lately and the lasagna, while delicious , tasted really salty to me. I think this is due to my taste buds changing. I also ordered the bruschetta which was quite small and I wouldn’t order it again due to the cost was $19 through a delivery app.
Read morePros: Lasagna was close to the real thing. , Several vegan choices including dessert
Guest
ArielaSchnitman
Points +1393
Really good and lots of options - Edit
They have a separated vegan menus with lots of options.
Read moreThe pasta was really good!
Guest
KarenCantwell
Points +68
Outstanding ! - Edit
This was the best vegan Italian food I’ve ever had at restaurant. Homemade pasta. The sauce was incredibly flavorful. Vegan caprese salad that my Omni friends couldn’t believe was vegan. Vegan tiramisu that was off the hook. If I lived in San Diego I would be a regular at this place. Truly outstanding.
Read morePros: Excellent appetizers!, Excellent pasta!, Excellent desserts!
Guest
theokaforceawakens
Points +98
Great Vegan Italian - Edit
My family went here in December and had a fantastic experience. We ate outside. Staff was friendly. The cook (owner?) came out and talked to us for a while about vegan food. Everything was at least solid, with few things standing out. As simple as it was, I really liked the bread. The calamari was creative and is probably my favorite vegan version. We love their Bruschetta. And the olives make their Spaghetti pop.
Read moreGuest
archaeofiero
Points +1335
Rats - Edit
Wish I'd read the previous review about their health department issues before I ate here 🤢🤮. The food was pretty bad, as much as I appreciate vegan options, it's not good.
Read moreThe vegan calamari was the only thing we liked out of the 4 dishes we ordered.
Guest
hlcurtis29
Points +50
Wasn’t as good as hoping - Edit
Vegan lasagna was just okay.., ambiance was just okay.., bread was not that good, kids pasta was not great at all.., overall, left slightly dissatisfied.
Read moreGuest
PaulaSaracen
Points +20
Temporarily Closed for Health Violations - Edit
Due to a health inspection on 3/12/25, Civico is temporarily closed. One of the major reasons is due to vermin infestation (rats). They have been struggling with this for years and this is why I never eat there. I walk by in the mornings and you can see rats running in and out from the street.
Read moreGuest
kbarthol9
Points +53
Great flavors! - Edit
Menu had about half a dozen app and entree vegan options and it was hard to decide! The caprese was ample with a nice vegan mozz but the winner was the spaghetti and meatballs. After being in Rome last month, the noodles were really almost the same texture. The veg-balls were so flavorful, eggplant, olive, and tomato sauce was delicious. Definite winner
Read moreGuest
EricKenichi
Points +22
excepcional italian vegan food - Edit
the vegan lasagna was excepcional, they have a part of the menu exclusive to vegan dishes, expensive, but worthy.
Read morein the other side, the dessert were not good at all, especially the tiramisu and the affogato
in general, very good food and nice serving
Pros: lasagna , focaccia
Cons: tiramisu , affogato
Guest
DonnaGillespie
Points +78
Dedicated vegan menu - Edit
It was lovely to have a selection of authentic Italian vegan dishes in a warm, friendly atmosphere.
Read morePros: Choices, Lasagna, Dessert options
Cons: Wish they had vegan pizza
Guest
CarmenCollar
Points +43
Absolutely delicious - Edit
Nice selection of vegan options. We had the carbonara, vegan calamari and puttanesca. The food was absolutely delicious with nice portions. Cocktails and beer were very good. I absolutely recommend this restaurant. My non vegan boyfriend loved it as much as me.
Read morePros: Delicious food, good selection., Great service. Knowledgeable and helpful staff., Great atmosphere
Guest
AuntAlisa
Points +133
Delicious vegan options - Edit
Started with great bread. Delicious vegan mushroom lasagna. Nice service. Comfortable setting.
Read moreGuest
annies755
Points +734
Loved the vegan options - Edit
Happy to find a restaurant in Little Italy that had clearly marked vegan options on their menu. Food was delicious, service was great and restaurant was nicely decorated.
Read moreGuest
ShelbyHallman
Points +116
Amazing focaccia - Edit
The focaccia was one of the best things I have ever eaten and why I gave 4 stars instead of 3.
Read moreThe vegan lasagna was also great. My only complaint is that the lasagna noodles were not completely cooked. The middle was raw dough but regardless, it still tasted delicious.
I unfortunately was not a fan of the vegan cannoli; mine was pretty bland. Maybe just a bad day?
Would love to go back to try more of the vegan options.
Updated from previous review on 2024-07-10
Guest
samato8888
Points +16
Vegan cannoli!! - Edit
Title says it all. Great vegan entrees also. And eggplant!
Read moreGuest
AshKenyail
Points +2808
Delicious vegan Italian - Edit
I dined here in 2022, and I was pleasantly surprised how accommodating and helpful the restaurant staff were with helping me understand the vegan options available. The pasta I ordered was delicious! It's definitely a nice gem in Little Italy in San Diego.
Read moreGuest
Ichi123456
Points +28
Etwas teurer, das Geld aber total wert - Edit
Als Vorspeise gibt es gratis Foccacia mit Basilikumpesto. Das Brot war noch warm und schmeckte unglaublich gut.
Read moreAls Hauptgang hatte ich die vegane Lasagne die mich total umgehauen hat. Absolute Empfehlung
Der Service war super: schnell und extrem freundlich
Pros: Essen, Lage, Service
Cons: Parksituation
Guest
.Jlo
Points +40
Amazing find in Little Italy - Edit
The most amazing Italian food for vegans, actually one of the best meals I’ve had in long time. The service staff was wonderful and attentive. Not to be missed was the desert, will definitely go back when I’m in San Diego.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-05-25
Pros: Pasta with eggplant and vegan sausage , Dessert , Ambience
Guest
phatheadphil
Points +61
Worthy - Edit
If it wasn't for serving animal products and the occasional waft of fish smell, this place would be 5 stars. The Fiore Ripieno, Fusilli, Lasagna, and Cannoli all rocked. The server, Gio, was super attentive and pleasant. Vibe fit in with the modish scene of Little Italy.
Read morePros: Food tasted immaculate , Center of activities , Staff was friendly and dedicated
Cons: Fish smell, Not their fault but parking sucked
Guest
NickShackleton
Points +737
Amazing 🤩 - Edit
This place deserves a 5 ⭐️ review. The good is amazing. Vegan takes on Italian classics. 5 starters, 5 mains and 3 desserts.
Read moreGuest
VickiNewMath
Points +889
The best Italian vegan options! - Edit
Amazing service and you will not wait long for your food! The flavor is decadent and you will savir every single bite!
Read moreGuest
ScarletCastro
Points +26
Great vegan menu - Edit
I had the vegan lasagna and cannoli. They tasted great!
Read moreGuest
CamAndri
Points +40
Vegan Italian Food 😍 - Edit
Based on other reviews I decided to try Civico . It was a 15 minute walk from my hotel and worth the journey. Loved the bread and pesto appetizer. I’m glad it was vegan friendly as that is a rarity among most Italian restaurants that I’ve experienced. Ordered the Ragu Di Funghi and Cannoli pastry. Both were delicious! #Veganuary
Read morePros: Vegan Options, Food portion, Cocktail Selections
Guest
amyfoxinabox
Points +118
Would dine again - Edit
They have a fully vegan section of the menu with options for apps and mains. I had the bruschetta and the rigatoni. Both were delicious. The bread and pesto they serve are also vegan friendly according to our server.
Read morePros: Clearly marked vegan section of menu
Guest
HappyFoodLove1
Points +253
Civico 1845 boasts the first Italian Vegan Menu in the USA. - Edit
They bring a bag of focaccia and vegan pesto when you sit down. It is delicious! Everything I ate was so tasty! I appreciate having vegan options instead of one dish (in none fully vegan restaurants)
Read morePros: Delicious, Complimentary vegan pesto and focaccia
Cons: None
Guest
ssluchansky
Points +556
Limited choices but very good - Edit
Civico boasts of having the first Italian-Vegan menu in the US. Their vegan menu, though, has fewer than 10 options, half as starters, the other half as main dishes. (I can't help think of "John's of 12th Street" in NYC's East Village, where the vegan menu is almost as large as the regular menu and where the restaurant tries to veganize almost every non-vegan offering, including desserts. And, the food is great.) Civico's Lasagna and Ragu di Funghi dishes were excellent, a little pricey but substantial portions. Once the order has been placed, they serve a vegan focaccia with olive oil and basil, which is thoughtful and delicious. And, having a vegan tiramisu was a wonderful opportunity. Still, the vegan effort would feel more complete if they offered a vegan salad (caesar?) and/or soup. When I asked about veganizing a salad, I was told that they could serve the (non-vegan) caesar dressing on the side. I did really like what I had, and would return, but I keep thinking about John's of 12th Street.
Read morePros: Several very nice options, Friendly and efficient service
Cons: More options for salad, soup, dessert
Guest
TarynD
Points +40
Authentic Italian - Edit
Little Italy is so alive with music, dancing, and tons of Italian restaurants. It was very close to the airport and we went straight here when I arrived. We sat outside and enjoyed amazing wine and food. My friend, not a vegan, ended up ordering from the vegan menu because it looked so good!
Read moreThe food was AMAZING! The pasta dishes were so flavorful! Fungi Fettuccine, Putenesca, and the stuffed zucchini blossom were all delicious. I'm still thinking about the yummy food this morning! This place will not disappoint!
Pros: Fungi Fettuccine , Putenesca , Stuffed zucchini blossoms
Cons: Nothing, Nothing, Nothing
Guest
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